Young readers will find an entertaining, fast-paced story in Keeping Secrets, the first of the Timber Ridge Riders series. The book is directed towards young horse enthusiasts, as horses and riding are central to its plot.

Maggie Dana’s Keeping Secrets tells the story of fourteen-year-old Kate McGreggor who has sworn off riding and horses since a tragedy occurred. When Kate takes a summer job helping Holly Chapman, a young rider now wheelchair-bound, Kate finds herself once again thrust into the horse world, despite her reluctance. As Kate becomes an increasingly important part of Holly’s life, she must struggle to keep her dark past a secret, and to help Holly deal with a barn bully who will stop at nothing to win.

The book tells a realistic, largely believable story, and the dialogue is well crafted, especially the conversations between Kate and Holly. Maggie has captured their voices naturally, and develops their characters well. The pacing is perfect and the action-filled plot moves forward quickly, which will keep young readers engrossed and entertained.

Keeping Secrets includes important lessons about the fear, responsibility, and even guilt that riders can face. It examines our relationships with horses and how they can affect us as people. Gracefully learning to live with loss becomes a central theme to the entire book. Kate’s struggle with her past provides another important lesson about letting go, moving on, and forgiving the person who is often the most difficult to forgive – yourself.

Revolving around horses, Keeping Secrets portrays the world of riding accurately and realistically. The scenes involving horses are detailed and visual, and even readers who aren’t terribly familiar with the horse world or with horse terminology will be able to navigate and enjoy this book.

At 176 pages, Keeping Secrets is a quick and easy read; I read it in one sitting. The antagonist, named Angela, is reminiscent of the bully in the Saddle Club series, and I would have liked to have seen more variety or creativity with her character. However, Keeping Secrets is the first book in the series; it’s possible that Angela’s character will continue to develop and differentiate itself through the series’ progression.

Be sure to check out the Timber Ridge Riders series website. You can also read an excerpt of Keeping Secrets, and purchase the book on Amazon.

It’s been a long time since a book swept me along as easily as Lucy’s Chance, book one of the Red Rock Ranch series did. From the opening scene I found that I was turning the pages quickly, eager to see what would come next.

Lucy’s Chance follows the adventures of Lucy Rose, a sixteen-year-old girl who is working on a ranch away from home for the summer. Lucy quickly meets (and falls for) her young coworker Casey Parker, though another rider at the ranch makes it evident that Casey is her territory. When Lucy’s path crosses with a black gelding in need, she and Casey join forces to train the gelding, but they must soon turn their efforts towards fighting to keep the gelding safe.

This book reads wonderfully easily, and author Brittney Joy’s writing flows naturally. The dialogue is natural, the book itself highly descriptive and visual, and it all comes together to create a story that makes any horse lover long for the days when they were sixteen again.

Within the first two pages, Lucy’s character had already asserted her tone and was well-developed, an admirable feat. The chemistry between Lucy and Casey is palpable in the book’s latter chapters, and the horses are described with careful detail. Brittney clearly writes with the voice of an experienced rider – scenes depicting trail rides, roping, calf cutting, and all manner of equestrian events were accurate, detailed, and realistic.

While Lucy’s Chance will appeal to teens, I’m in my late twenties and still thoroughly enjoyed it. Combining horses, love, and the ranch atmosphere, the book is a light and fun read. I found myself reminiscing about my teenage years and what I was up to at sixteen, and I couldn’t help but laugh at the description of Lucy trying to do barn chores one-handed, as it’s something that I’ve been forced to try myself a few times too many.

In reviews you’re always supposed to present both the good and the bad, and I feel like I’m raving about this book, so I do need to mention that there are a few (and I mean few) little grammatical errors. However, they’re minor and infrequent (and I was an English major in college), so it’s entirely possible that most readers wouldn’t notice them.

All in all, Lucy’s Chance is a wonderful read.

Lucy’s Chance is available on Amazon (hint: the e-book is on sale for $.99 this week!), and be sure to visit Brittney Joy’s Facebook page.

It can be hard to beat the summer heat, especially when you spend most of your time at the barn or in the saddle. Access to a freezer or fridge can be hard to come by, and many cooling products for horse or rider require refrigeration or freezing of the materials first.

Equi Cool Down products are different, though: all that’s necessary to activate the product’s cooling properties is to get it wet. The water doesn’t even have to be cold – according to Equi Cool Down, the “patent-pending textile technology uses an advanced hyper-evaporative material. When activated, the [material] will drop up to 22 degrees colder than the outside temperature…The cooling effect can last for hours!”

But does it work? I put the Instant Cooling Towel to the test. I ran one half of the towel under cool tap water, then ran the other half under warm water, like you would find outside during a hot day. Within about twenty seconds I couldn’t tell which side I had used warmer water on – both ends of the towel were cool, dramatically cooler than the hot air.

I used the towel for about four hours and it stayed cool the entire time. According to the directions, Equi Cool Down products can stay cool all day; you just have to refresh them with water if they dry out and wave them about in the air to reactivate them. A spray bottle is recommended for easy refreshing.

I was surprised at just how well this product worked and how dramatic its cooling effect was. The towel stayed much cooler than the air, and was refreshing when placed around my neck or on my legs while sitting outside. It’s soft and comfortable, and also folds up easily. It seems quite durable, and according to the directions the towel can be either hand- or machine-washed. Best of all, it’s reusable!

Since I live in the humid climate of New England, the fact that Equi Cool Down products are unimpeded by humidity (actually, it probably helps them stay cool longer) is a big advantage. Some products rely on evaporation to cool the human or horse, which is slowed on days of high humidity.

I can think of countless ways that Equi Cool Down products can benefit both horses and riders. They’re safe to use directly against skin, and are wonderfully comfortable. Being able to activate them with even the warm water that you might have in a water bottle makes them easily transportable – keeping this towel in your show bag or saddle bags could really pay off if either you or your horse get overheated while away from home.

Plus, Equi Cool Down makes products specifically for horses, including a body wrap, a leg wrap, and a neck wrap. These would be ideal for horses with anhidrosis, as well as for just about any horse. Whether cooling your horse down on a hot day or applying cold therapy, the flexibility of these products, the ease of activation, and the lasting effects make them great to have on hand.

To learn more about Equi Cool Down products, visit their website and be sure to like their Facebook page.

The flies are out, so it's time for the fly masks to go to work. I picked up the Crusader Fly Mask Standard with Ears because it looked to be a comfortable mask that would fit Whisper well. It also offers 70% UV protection, which is particularly important given the fact that Whisper is a grey and spends a lot of time outside in the sun.

I wasn't disappointed by this fly mask. I guessed on the sizing, although Cashel provides an impressive size and measurement chart on the back of the package. The mask fit Whisper just about perfectly, securing well beneath her jaw but also leaving her enough room to graze and chew comfortably while wearing it. The double Velcro closure is well designed to be secure, but a strong elastic piece will also help the mask to fall away if your horse gets hung up.

This mask features darts to help keep the mesh up away from the horse's eyes, and it works well - there's plenty of clearance when Whisper's wearing it. Unique to this mask is also the hole for the horse's forelock. This hole allows for the forelock to be kept out of the horse's eyes, and I think it also helps to keep the mask from shifting about.

I like the fact that all of the edges of this mask are lined with fleece for the horse's comfort. The lighter fabric used for the ears and upper portions of the mask is soft and light. And, on the whole, the mask is relatively lightweight and easy to see through.

And while fly masks aren't cute by definition, this one is...more attractive - dare I say "stylish"? - than most. I picked up the pink mask, not because Whisper particularly likes pink, but because 5% of the proceeds go to the Susan G Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. The donation helps to justify the slightly higher price tag than other fly masks - $25.95. Protecting my horse AND fighting breast cancer? There's not much better than that.

Cowgirl Courage, written by J. H. Lee, is an adventure novel for young readers that centers around horses. Brooke, a twelve-year-old girl who once loved to ride, finds herself facing fear and lost confidence that result from a tragic riding accident. Presented with a new mount and the desire to help with her family’s ranch, Brooke must decide whether she lets her fear overpower her or whether she fights back instead.

This story is certainly action-packed, and its fast pace will keep young readers engaged. The chapters are of just the right length and the well-timed plot events propel the book forward. From runaway horses to cattle drives to an orphaned moose, this book crafts Brooke’s unique life with detailed accuracy.

It’s evident that J. H. Lee writes from her own experiences raising and training horses on a ranch. It’s always a pleasure to read a book where horses and riding are depicted accurately and realistically. Some of the scenes I enjoyed the most describe Brooke’s interaction and developing relationship with her new horse, Jazz; throughout the book Jazz’s character develops as well, and you feel like you can predict her moves by the end.

In reading the book’s synopsis, I was excited to see that J. H. Lee had taken on an issue that is so common amongst riders – fear after a fall. I felt that the issue would be well-received by young readers. And while the first half of the book does focus on Brooke’s fear of getting back into the saddle, I was disappointed to see that the issue largely takes a backseat for the second half of the book, only appearing in hints here and there.

The writing flows smoothly, and many scenes are very visual with good description. While the dialogue is a little stiff at times, the book reads well overall. With the exception of the occasional horse terminology, Cowgirl Courage is largely accessible for young readers.

Cowgirl Courage is a fast-paced tale of what happens when a young rider stands up to her fear. Readers will delight in Brooke’s adventures with Jazz.

Sound interesting? Cowgirl Courage is available on Amazon. Be sure to visit J. H. Lee's Facebook page!

Stomping at flies all day is more than just annoying for your horse - it can take a toll on your horse’s hooves and joints, especially when the ground is dried out and hard in the summer. Shoofly Leggins take a shot at stopping this pesky problem without the use of chemicals. (Sorry, I couldn’t resist the pun!)

The Shoofly Leggins are made from a plastic flexible mesh that has very fine holes in it. The bottoms are covered with a soft fleece, and the Leggins attach with Velcro. They include sewn-in plastic staves which run the length of the Leggin and prevent it from falling down or collapsing around the fetlock.

I found it easiest to apply the Leggins by fastening the bottom Velcro tab first and then working my way up the leg. They’re a bit different from applying boots or fly leg wraps, since the tops of the Leggins hang open by a few inches. The different feel caused Whisper (who is very sensitive) to get a little nervous the first time I put the Leggins on her back legs. However, she quickly relaxed and did not have this problem during the second time I put the Leggins on. Whisper did, however, exaggerate her walk to let me know that the Leggins felt funny, but she only did this for about a minute before relaxing and forgetting she was wearing them.

The Leggins really seen to work. I watched Whisper closely the first time I put them on - despite having flies land on her body, she didn’t once stomp a leg during the half-hour I spent standing with her (I, however, was bitten repeatedly). I’ve watched her in the pasture with these and she seems quite comfortable. I even noted flies landing on the Leggins, but not on Whisper’s legs themselves.

The Leggins have an interesting design, and I’m not sure what I think about how open they are at the top. The package insert states that flies will not crawl down into the Leggins, but I still wonder about flies flying down and landing on the legs, though I haven’t seen this happen.

I like that the Velcro is strong and runs all the way up the Leggin. Someone was definitely thinking when they designed this product - they kindly left an extra tab on the Velcro that sticks out and makes removing the Leggins easy. I do wish there was a bit more adjustability to the Velcro, though. The Leggins are available in mini, small, medium, and large sizes, and though the height fit Whisper’s legs I would have liked to have been able to adjust the Leggins so they were a bit tighter around her fetlock. Whisper has petite Thoroughbred legs, so any boot I put on her needs to be tall but also have a narrower adjustment.

I also like the fact that the Leggins are a chemical-free alternative form of fly protection for your horse. They are available in a bright blue, orange, and pink, all colors that make them easy to spot if your horse should lose them in the pasture. They’re easy to apply and to remove and while I’ve only had mine for a short time, they seem to be well made and durable.

My only suggestion, besides more adjustability with the Velcro, would be some sort of a safety release. The fact that the mesh is strong and durable leaves me a bit concerned that if a horse were to freakishly catch a back of in the Leggin of a front leg, it might not detach or tear easily. This scenario is probably highly unlikely, but we all know horses and how they make the unbelievable all too possible when it comes to injuries.

I’m impressed with the Shoofly Leggins and how well they work. Whisper was clearly more comfortable with them. Paired with a fly sheet and a fly mask, your horse could probably go out in the worst flies and still be comfortable.

To learn more about Shoofly Leggins, visit their website or Facebook page.

I go through riding gloves like water. Seriously, you wouldn’t believe how quickly I rip, tear, or wear through gloves. I had pretty much abandoned the idea that any single pair of gloves could last me through a season, but Noble Outfitters’ Perfect Fit Glove may have proven me wrong.

The Perfect Fit Glove is exactly that - it fits my hand like it were custom-made for me. Other gloves I’ve tried on are always just a little too long in the fingers, or they’re too tight across the back of my hand. The Perfect Fit Glove is incredibly comfortable, and the stretch jersey fabric is very breathable and soft against my skin. The gloves provide a close fit, eliminating the bulk that you’ll sometimes find in other gloves.

The glove provides great grip while riding, and I often forget that I’m wearing it. The palm and fingers are lined with suede which helps keep a firm grip on the reins. The Velcro wrist closure makes the gloves easy to put on and take off, and also secures them well. For those of you who use your smart phones while riding, you’ll be pleased to know that the gloves are also touch screen friendly.

Finally, the gloves are really well made. I’ve been using mine for months now and they show no signs of wear. According to Noble Outfitters, the critical seams of the gloves are double stitched. The stitching has held up well, and thanks to the fact that Noble Outfitters reinforced the forefinger, thumb, and pinky, the gloves are still showing no wear in those areas. (I’m always wearing through these heavily used areas in my gloves.)

For a glove that fits this well and is this comfortable, you can’t beat the price – Noble Outfitters lists the gloves at $22.99. You can feel good about your purchase, too - Noble Outfitters donates 5% of their profits to “equestrian focused youth programs that foster equine interest and participation while strengthening values and providing meaningful learning experiences.”